Back-to-back on the Breeze: What We Experienced (WWE) vs Word on the Street (WOTS)

[Windy56]

Background - My husband and I did our first B2B during the last two weeks of February. It was a 8 day out of Miami followed by a 6 day. It was our sixth cruise together and my twelfth cruise. Our previous cruises included a Christmas honeymoon cruise on the Caribbean Princess six years ago, a Christmas/New Year Panama cruise on the Celebrity Constellation, a Rhine River Christmas Market cruise on Uniworld's River Queen, another summer cruise out of Baltimore on the Pride and a summer cruise on the Oasis. Our cruise on the Breeze has been our most enjoyable cruise overall, to date.

 

My Angle for the Review - I know much has been written about the Breeze but because it was such an enjoyable cruise, I wanted to throw in my two cents too. I thought I would approach the review a little differently. I am going to cover aspects of the cruise from two perspectives, leading with what I heard and read about the cruise before I left (WOTS) and what my husband and I experienced (WWE). Of course this was our personal experience and we brought to it our past cruise history as well as our own expectations. I am not including photos, this time, because we took so few and other posters have included so many in previous and current reviews. I hope that it is an interesting and helpful read. I know I have gained so much knowledge reading these forums over the years!

 

Miami Hotel - Intercontinental

WOTS - We had heard that the bigger hotels near the port would be expensive but would provide a great view of your ship on the morning of embarkation.

WWE - Yes and yes! This was a bit of a treat for us and we allocated a good part of our trip budget to it. The hotel stay was excellent. The room was very big with a long horizontal shaped window ideally cut so that you could experience a panoramic view. Everything about the room was comfortable and well designed including the chaise lounge under the window. I called dibs on it as soon as we entered the room. Service was prompt and friendly and even if you don't stay at this hotel, please consider their restaurant, Toro Toro. The menu is a kind of Latin infusion. We were there for Valentine's Day. The layering and balance of flavours was sublime! Watching the ships at the port, the next morning, really got us excited about our boarding day!

 

Embarkation

WOTS - Passengers are processed so quickly and efficiently, the FTTF option isn't all that necessary.

WWE - We agreed. From the time we arrived, it took no more than twenty minutes to board the ship. Every line we entered moved constantly, at a good clip. We went directly to our cabin and dropped off our bags, no later than 1:00 and my husband thinks it was earlier, around noon. Even if you buy the package to get early tendering, I don't see it as an advantage. I like to take my time and am in no hurry to leave the ship in the morning. The whole experience was totally painless. I started cruising around twenty years ago with my friends and the whole boarding procedure has really improved in terms of process and speed.

 

First night Dinner in the Dining Room

WOTS - Service can be quite slow on the first night and it all seems quite disorganized.

WWE - Yes. It was pretty awful. We were seated at a two top that was almost on top of the two top right next to it in the Sapphire Anytime Dining Room. Our waiter was not very friendly at all and seemed rattled. We were a bit worried at this point because we do like eating in the dining room. This problem was solved, the next night, however.

 

Anytime Dining

WOTS - People have to wait a long time to get a table and the service suffers because you don't have the same waiter each evening who would get to know your preferences. In addition, you don't get to enjoy the company of the same table mates every evening and share the events of your day.

WWE - We disagreed. On the second evening we ate a a two top that was not nearly so close to the next table and we were served by a waiter who had twenty years experience with the line. He was excellent in every way. Sometimes I think the waiters pick up the entrees too soon and this is why the food is served cold. When we told him that we liked our food to come out hot, he made sure that this happened. We ate between 6:15 and 6:30 each night and only had to wait one night to be seated. By the third night the staff who seated passengers knew we preferred his section and seated us there every night. While we didn't chat with the same people every night, which would occur with assigned seating, we did get to talk with quite a few very nice people seated close to us, over the course of the two weeks.

 

Spa Cabin

WOTS - A premium is paid for this cabin because it has more room amenities

including robes, slippers, linen spray, and spa level soaps, shampoo and conditioner. This cabin has the added advantage of providing unlimited access to the spa area which has dry and wet saunas, rainforest shower, heated loungers and a thalassotherapy pool. All of this makes it a good value.

WWE - It was not worth the extra money to us. The amenities were really nothing special and the spa was small and crowded. We love thalassotherapy pools and this one barely qualified. It was VERY small. According to the hotel manager, it was supposed to have a dome ceiling to allow for better air circulation, but that was cut in the final budget for the ship. The room needed much better ventilation. The pool had the normal bars for reclining so that the bubbling water could massage your back but the positioning of the bars made it very difficult to get comfortable. One of the water spouts was not working, either. The staff exuded a kind of haughty attitude, as well. Finally there was a very unpleasant odor of urine in the facility that was really off putting. It wasn't always there, but when it was there, it was really bad. Strangely, there were only two showers in the spa and I found this surprising, also. The only benefit of our spa cabin was the location. It was 11245 and it was very close to the sports decks and also very close to the forward bank of elevators.

 

 

More to come...

[LUPY48]

Enjoying your 'format' very much!

[Windy56]

Thanks, Lupy. I will be back to it later this evening!

[applegam]

Great start! Can't wait to read the rest.

[leaderdogmom]

Great start! Can't wait to read the rest.

 

Enjoying your style of review. We we on the March 15th sailing on the Breeze. We also had anytime dining. Never had to wait more than five minutes for a table. However, the service was the worst we ever had on Carnival. We kept asking for a better server and finally was seated in Vladmir's section- finally the service we were accustomed to from Carnival. Not sure what was going on there.

[KPfromCT]

Thanks for the review!!!!:D:D

We will be boarding the Breeze for our 2nd cruise on her, in July.

We are actually flying down on the 4th of July, and staying at the Intercontinental, based on all of the review we've read on here.

 

Did you pay extra for the Bayview room, or did you upgrade at the desk.

We booked on Priceline for $130 per night, but heard you can upgrade to a water view for $20 more. How convenient is the hotel to the Bayside Marketplace?

 

Thanks in advance!!!!:D

[Windy56]

Glad you're enjoying it, Applegam!

[Windy56]

Leaderdogmom, we also received some bad service in the dining room, especially during the sea day brunch and the afternoon tea. We were very lucky to "stumble" upon the waiter we ended up sticking with. He was South American and his name was Richard. Some of the other waiters we had were so indifferent. I don't expect at all to be fawned over but I do expect that they look interested in what they are doing and care about what they are doing.

[Windy56]

Thanks for the review!!!!:D:D

We will be boarding the Breeze for our 2nd cruise on her, in July.

We are actually flying down on the 4th of July, and staying at the Intercontinental, based on all of the review we've read on here.

 

Did you pay extra for the Bayview room, or did you upgrade at the desk.

We booked on Priceline for $130 per night, but heard you can upgrade to a water view for $20 more. How convenient is the hotel to the Bayside Marketplace?

 

Thanks in advance!!!!:D

 

My husband told me that all the harbour view rooms had a king sized bed and he remembers that it was extra. We booked directly with the hotel through their website. We didn't go to the Bayside Marketplace but I think you take the Peoplemover to get there and it is fairly convenient. There is a liquor/wine store not far from the hotel, within walking distance. Ask at the desk for directions. You can bring on a 750 ml of wine per adult passenger. We enjoyed four bottles during our two week cruise and had no problem bringing them on board. If you can, try the tapas at the hotel lobby bar. It is sooooo delicious. Have a great cruise!

[Windy56]

Service

WOTS - It's a big ship and the crew is stretched pretty thin. The crew isn't as efficient and friendly because of it.

WWE - Although we experienced some poor service in the form of a kind of indifferent attitude among some of the wait staff in the dining room during sea day brunch and afternoon tea, this was an exception. We ordered a drink one afternoon from a waiter on the Ocean Plaza outside terrace. It was a very brief exchange and when we encountered him in the pub the next day he greeted me by name. With the number of passengers on board, this kind of attention to detail amazes me. We had problems with a disposable underwater camera we had purchased on the ship and when we presented it for a refund, they quite happily credited our account. Our cabin steward was excellent. He had a lot of rooms but we often encountered him during " down time" in the hallway and he was happy to chit chat. He kept the cabin spotless and remembered a few requests we had made at the start of the cruise. This seemed like a happy ship and a happy crew, for the most part. I have been on ships where the opposite was true. I can't remember an occasion on the ship where we encountered a crew member who didn't greet us and they usually said hello or good morning before we had a chance to say it first and it was always with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

 

Playlist Productions

WOTS - The shows are lacking for many reasons. The number of singers/dancers have been reduced to eight. There are few stage props or actual scenery and the production is based on annoying digital effects. The singers are not very good and the shows are boring.

WWE - We really enjoyed the shows. We saw Divas, the Motown production and the British Invasion type production. Sorry, I have forgotten the names :( . I loved that the length of the production was about 40 minutes long and this included the audience warm up session before the actual show started. I think it's important to remind ourselves that these are not broadway productions. All eight performers danced and sang at the same time and demonstrated a great deal of energy and enthusiasm in what they were doing. Maybe I am easily impressed but I was exhausted watching them! Did they have the strongest vocals...no. Could they belt out a tune...yes! I think the size of the stage is more suited to an eight member group rather than the larger group of performers that used to crowd the stage. The special effects were really cool. They in no way distracted us but rather enhanced the performance. I was really intrigued by them and far preferred them to the cheesy sets of former shows. I, like many other cruisers, miss the live stage bands but I realize that in the end to keep the fares low over the last few decades, something has to go.

[Windy56]

Music Venues

WOTS - There has been a general decline in the quality of live music on board Carnival ships. An example of this is the disappearance of the steel drum band on the pool deck.

WWE - While it was always fun to board the ship to the sounds of a steel drum band playing, it was a pretty one dimensional ensemble. The Breeze is one of the ships where money has been spent on improving the music venues and it shows. Rhythm Nation, a six member band, that plays in the Ocean Plaza was soooo good. They are a cover band playing music from past decades as well as now and tends to focus on a particular decade each night they play. They dress the part and act the part and they really get people of all ages up on the dance floor. Many nights it was standing room only. The duo that played in the atrium most nights did Latin music and the female vocalist was a really solid performer. There were several guitarists in the pub and they were very popular. We experienced two players in the piano bar and it, too, was crowded most nights. Each venue meandered into the next. All the music venues were really close to each other. It was like a music buffet and we loved it!

 

Comedy Club

WOTS - It is very crowded and hard to get a seat. You have to go early, about a half hour in advance of the show to find a place to sit. The comedy shows should be held in the main theatre. Drink service is slow.

WWE - It's true. It is very crowded. You do have to go early and if you want to attend two back to back performances, you probably won't get in. However, they book so many comedians with so many shows, chances are if you miss a show one night, you can catch it the second night. The comedy we saw was largely interactive and it would not work well in a large theatre. Just June was terrific and Pat Godwin was side-splitting hilarious. We saw him three times over the course of the three weeks. The Comedy club host starts each show by asking the audience to request more chairs when they complete their post cruise survey. It would help, but it is a sign of the popularity of the acts that people return for more shows. Some say they should be booked, but the booking hassle we experienced on the Oasis detracted from our enjoyment. I don't want to be on any kind of schedule when I am on a holiday. It is also true that drink service is slow. My suggestion is to belly up to the bar and order your drinks after you have secured your seats.

[Windy56]

Food in the Dining Room and Buffet

WOTS - Carnival, has over the years, cut corners in this area in terms of quality of food preparation and quantity of food choices.

WWE - I have to agree and it is not only Carnival. When I started cruising twenty years ago the level of cuisine served in the dining room was on par with the food served in the specialty restaurants, today. Afternoon snacks were elaborate and plentiful. Lunches were served in the dining room on both sea days and port days. Of course, midnight buffets and deck party buffets were routine. With the exception of the latter, I find myself longing for the old days. Yet I know they are not coming back. My complaint on this cruise was that the hot food wasn't always hot and the cold food was often luke warm, like the chilled soups. Some of the choices were excellent. The chicken pot pie, arugula salad, chicken fingers and melting cake come to mind. However, much of the food was not very memorable and sometimes not very enjoyable. The buffet in the evening was surprisingly limited in choices, as well. I was disappointed because our cruise on the Pride was notable for the really tasty food we enjoyed. In retrospect, we should have skipped the dining room and done more casual noshing on some evenings. We did try the Italian restaurant and found it mediocre, at best. This did not end up being a food cruise, for us!

 

Deck Food

WOTS - A strong advantage in sailing on this ship is that you can enjoy great casual food outdoors and pretty much stay in your bathing suit all day.

WWE - Absolutely!! The food available on the deck is delicious. I loved having a breakfast burrito in the morning along with an arepas. Ask for crispy potatoes in the breakfast burrito. YUM! The hamburgers are really good, as are the fries. We discovered the pizza in the last few days and I am still craving it. Unfortunately, we didn't get around to trying the butter chicken from the Tandoori Grill, but it got rave reviews.

[jolyroger]

Thanks for the review!!!!:D:D

We will be boarding the Breeze for our 2nd cruise on her, in July.

We are actually flying down on the 4th of July, and staying at the Intercontinental, based on all of the review we've read on here.

 

Did you pay extra for the Bayview room, or did you upgrade at the desk.

We booked on Priceline for $130 per night, but heard you can upgrade to a water view for $20 more. How convenient is the hotel to the Bayside Marketplace?

 

Thanks in advance!!!!:D

 

 

You took the words right out of my mouth about the bayview room, and if it cost more .I was curious as well since we will be sailing the Breeze for the second time next month and staying at the Intercontinental.

Great review and loving the format!! Keep it coming!

[jolyroger]

Ahh just seen your responce!! About it costing more, I'll have to let the hubby know! lol

[Windy56]

Activities

WOTS - This is a busy ship with lots to do. In typical Carnival fashion, you will get to enjoy Ye Olde Hairy Chest contest along with the traditional art auctions. Bingo is very popular, as are the trivia contests held throughout the day at various locations on the ship.

WWE - I suppose that when you review the Fun Times it looks like a lot. Yet I can't help but think that while so many things have changed during the last twenty years of cruising, the activities have largely remained the same. Don't get me wrong. I like a friendly game of trivia or a try at learning a new line dance, but I think it's time to start thinking outside the box. While the number of promotional events have increased like teeth whitening and anti-aging seminars, there seems to be a gap in offering some different fun distractions or events that would involve the whole family. Wouldn't it be interesting for one of the photographers to lead a tour around the ship and demonstrate just how to get the best atrium shot or the best action shot of the water slide?

 

Deck Area

WOTS - The pools are inadequate for the number of passengers. The Serenity area is not very serene. It is difficult to find loungers on the ship, apart from the Promenade deck.

WWE - Again, this trend to small pools seems to be the norm on ships. I once heard someone refer to a cruise ship pool as "people soup" and it sort of stuck. The best time to enjoy the pools on the ship is after 7:00 and Carnival wisely keeps them open until quite late. I do think that a ship of this size should have had an adults' pool. It was something we missed. I also agree with the comment that the Serenity Deck was not serene. It was noisy and crowded and the chair hogging was in full force. I was glad to read a post recently reporting that crew members were tagging chairs that were reserved with personal belongings and unoccupied. It's about time. On the other hand, you could easily find a lounger on the Promenade Deck, facing out to sea, where it was actually peaceful and quiet, if that is what you were looking for.

 

More to come...

[cruisemama1]

Thanks for a very interesting review. I really like your style of writing. The information about the spa is disappointing for me. I was really looking forward to buying a week long pass. I'm not so sure I will now. I mostly enjoy the steam rooms. How were they?

[pirate4me2]

Great review!

[vacruizer]

Thanks for a very interesting review. I really like your style of writing. The information about the spa is disappointing for me. I was really looking forward to buying a week long pass. I'm not so sure I will now. I mostly enjoy the steam rooms. How were they?

 

I can't comment on the steam rooms, but the earlier comment about the smell in the thalasso pool area was dead on. We sailed the first week of Feb. and toured the spa the first day. I was thinking about buying the spa pass mainly for the pool area. I thought it smelled really bad in there and didn't think I could take the odor. Not sure it quite smelled like urine, but close. Maybe urine and mildew. But it wasn't pleasant and didn't make me want to spend time in there.

 

We did have a nice couples massage on a port day special later in the cruise.

[txmom11]

Love the review! Thanks for taking your time to do it.

[LittleMissMagic]

When I first saw your review, I told myself that I should avoid it because I didn't want to influence my own opinions as I write mine...... but then I just couldn't resist!

 

Activities

WOTS - This is a busy ship with lots to do. In typical Carnival fashion, you will get to enjoy Ye Olde Hairy Chest contest along with the traditional art auctions. Bingo is very popular, as are the trivia contests held throughout the day at various locations on the ship.

WWE - I suppose that when you review the Fun Times it looks like a lot. Yet I can't help but think that while so many things have changed during the last twenty years of cruising, the activities have largely remained the same. Don't get me wrong. I like a friendly game of trivia or a try at learning a new line dance, but I think it's time to start thinking outside the box. While the number of promotional events have increased like teeth whitening and anti-aging seminars, there seems to be a gap in offering some different fun distractions or events that would involve the whole family. Wouldn't it be interesting for one of the photographers to lead a tour around the ship and demonstrate just how to get the best atrium shot or the best action shot of the water slide?

 

I absolutely agree with you on more interesting daily activities. And your suggestion for a photography tour is especially appealing to me. I love that idea!!! They could do a different photo tour each day to different locations or something like that - bring whatever camera you have whether it's professional or your iPhone. That would be really fun.

 

I'm enjoying your review and am waiting for more!

[Windy56]

Thanks for a very interesting review. I really like your style of writing. The information about the spa is disappointing for me. I was really looking forward to buying a week long pass. I'm not so sure I will now. I mostly enjoy the steam rooms. How were they?

 

We didn't use the steam room...sorry. If I were you, I would drop by the spa on the day you board the ship and check it out. You might enjoy it. I know that a lot of posters have written positive comments about it.

[092306]

Enjoying your review style, looking forward to the rest!

[Windy56]

Cruise Director

WOTS - Pete seems disengaged and it is really difficult to understand him.

WWE - We have to agree. The cruise director is not a huge factor in our cruise experience but I know that for many cruisers he/she has a big role to play. It appeared to me that Pete was going through the motions and that his heart just wasn't in it. When he made announcements over the PA system, he started out loud and clear and very quickly deteriorated to low volume mumbling. It was funny and annoying at the same time. The crew of activity people who worked with him, however, were very funny and enthusiastic. Their enthusiasm was infectious and they were present everywhere on the ship.

 

Passengers

WOTS - The typical Carnival passenger is boisterous, bordering on uncouth in manners and underdressed in the dining room.

WWE - We strongly disagree. We met so many really friendly and interesting people on this cruise. There is a down-to-earth feeling on the Carinval ships we have been on and a real fun spirited attitude. This is in sharp contrast to some of the other lines where people seem a tad more uptight. People were neatly dressed in the dining room and there were a fair number of suits and cocktail dresses on formal evenings. We did witness two incidents involving teenagers picking up food with their hands in the buffet - nothing that a little round of keel hauling would correct. ;)

 

Officers

WOTS - There is little to no contact with the officers on the ship.

WWE - We experienced the opposite. I have never been on a ship,where I have encountered so many uniformed staff in public areas, enjoying themselves, during the evenings. We had the great pleasure of chatting with the ship's hotel director on two occasions. He is in charge of dining, housekeeping, casino and entertainment. He asked us how we were enjoying our cruise when he encountered us on the turnaround day. He figured out that we were on a back to back cruise. We took the opportunity to praise our steward and waiter for the great service. He followed up by sending a note to both of these people, who were very pleased to receive it. We learned all kinds of things from this man whose first name was Pierre. He knew the average age of the passengers on the ship during the previous, current and next cruise. When I mentioned that the makeup mirror was installed much too high on the wall, he sent a technician to measure it in our cabin and samplings in the whole corridor. He discovered that they had been installed at three different heights on the floor. He spoke about sourcing food products and all kinds of topics I have always been interested in. He was an excellent ambassador for the cruise line. Then to top it all off, he sent a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies to our room. I don't know where they came from but they sure weren't the ones in the buffet line!

 

Self-assisted debarkation

WOTS - It is a slow and chaotic way to end your cruise.

WWE - Absolutely not. In our opinion, it is the only way to go. We zipped off the ship and had a fair amount of luggage, too. Like embarkation, it was smooth and fast. There was no waiting anywhere. I strongly recommend it.

 

Back-to-back Cruise Experience

WOTS - If you have the time and the money, it's the way to go.

WWE - We loved it so much that the idea of a week long cruise just doesn't seem long enough. The positive aspects are increased if you can keep your cabin for the two segments of the cruise. We found it soooooooo relaxing. If you missed a show, you knew you could catch it later. Time did not speed by. The transition between the two cruises was smooth and seamless. A representative walked us off the ship, through customs, and then back on. Easy peasy.

 

Concluding Remarks

This was a terrific cruise. It is a very well laid out ship and attractively appointed. The crew is fun, hard-working and gracious. In terms of entertainment and music, there is so something for everyone. The food in the dining room and buffet is so-so, but the deck food is delicious. I would be happy to answer any questions!

[Banditswife]

Thank you for your interesting & informative review.

[gelo7]

Loved your review and your WOTS and WWE format.